


emerald green

by stagemanager



Series: Gemhog AU [1]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Found Family, Gemhog AU, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Memories, Parent-Child Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:55:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22890595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stagemanager/pseuds/stagemanager
Summary: An unfortunate fact of caring for a child means that you sometimes have to keep information from them for their own benefit. While Longclaw knew that there were some secrets that she would have to tell him eventually, there was one that she hoped would never see the light of day. There is a very, very good reason why Sonic has his powers.
Relationships: Maddie Wachowski/Tom Wachowski
Series: Gemhog AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1708957
Comments: 77
Kudos: 442





	1. blue dandelion

Even in the dead of night, red still explodes against green.

Something rustles nearby—a low noise that cuts through the inky silence. Without even thinking, she buries herself deeper into the tiny cave, away from the silvery light. The pounding of her heart and the dripping of blood are deafening.

Another sound—this one like jingling beaded necklaces and snapping branches—slices through the darkness. In the shadows, she wills every fiber of her being to freeze. Eons later, wood creaks and there is a quiet whoosh like a flock flying away. Slowly, the air becomes lighter. 

After an eternity, she finally allows herself to suck in an unsteady breath. The scarlet tipped arrow sends another sharp pain through her wing, and she stifles a groan. Another lifetime, and she finally draws her eyes from the cave’s opening and to the smooth satchel slung around her shoulder.

Immediately, fiery anger and icy fear fill her being.

This single pouch is the whole reason that all of this is happening. Why she’s running for her life in the dead of night, why she’s bleeding out in a cave in _who knows where_ , and why _she’s left everything behind and—_

A primal screech rips from her beak, the injured owl unable to hold it back any longer. Without thinking, she rips the satchel open with her one good wing. Feathers curl tightly around something smooth and rigid, and she seizes it out of the bag. Clutched in her wing is an azure gemstone pulsing with an otherworldly light.

In an instant, she scrambles to her feet, expression flashing with fury and hurt. Her eyes are racing out of the cave and towards the ocean. A dozen voices are screaming— _leave it, who cares, forget everything, it’ll all be better_ —and she raises a wing. But just as she begins to release her grip on the glowing crystal, something causes her to freeze in place.

A mortal’s dark desire to become a god. The eternal vows of a dying order fighting for peace. Visions of destruction and death and why it _cannot_ be allowed to happen. Pleas that fall on deaf ears, rage their only response. Scattered feathers and a single command to make sure that _no one ever finds it_. 

Anger ebbing away, the owl collapses in a heap on the cold ground. Tears—of _fear_ , of _hopelessness_ , of _pain_ —pour down her face. She curls into herself, feathers still wrapped around the shimmering stone.

If by some miracle she doesn’t get caught, what is she even supposed to do? She’ll have to live her entire life in hiding, never able to return home. Never able to plant the garden she’s always wanted. All her life she's given up dreams—of lazy summer days, of love, of family—just to preserve some ancient promise. And for what, a stupid blue rock and bag of rings? The gold collar—a piece that she was once proud and excited to wear—now feels constricting and heavy.

With her eyes full of tears, she does not notice that the gem’s glow is growing steadier. And more intense. It isn’t until the stone is a blindingly bright cerulean and its surface is warm that she is drawn out of her sorrow and dashed hopes.

Suddenly, the world erupts into sky blue. The last image in her mind is an impossible fantasy of children and flowers.

An unknown amount of time later, she stumbles back into consciousness. Her eyes blink rapidly, trying to readjust from strange light to familiar darkness. She looks around in a daze. 

Two thoughts slam into her brain. One, the pain from her wing is gone. Whipping her eyes downward, she sees that the arrow has somehow vanished, not a hint of scarlet seen. Two, the blue gemstone has disappeared. 

Panic immediately sets in. She spins around, eyes desperately searching for the missing jewel and her mind blazing through a million what-ifs. Her nocturnal vision catches a hint of blue just outside of the cave. At once, she rushes out of the darkness, and snatches the little blue object. And then confusion floods her mind.

Instead of the smooth, rigid surface that she has become acclimated to, the crystal feels soft and pliable. The owl raises the blue item to eye-level to investigate, and swiftly realizes that this is _not_ what she was looking for. It is a lovely blue yes, but rather than a relic of unlimited power, it is a furry ball. The image of a dandelion wanders absently into her mind.

What is _this?_

Before she can decide what to do next—the emerald is _missing_ , you have to find it or all of this was for _nothing_ —the blue ball moves. And all of her cognitive capabilities are instantly shutdown.

There’s no way… It _can’t_ have… 

But the ball moves _again_ , this time much more _clearly_ , and she realizes that _yes_ , it is in fact _moving_ but more specifically _uncurling_. Blue waves—which she is now quickly discovering are _quills_ —recede to reveal soft peach fur and a tiny black nose. A stubby tail and two triangular ears point out from the mass of blue.

As the now uncurled ball sprawls out on her wing, the owl simply blinks. For a moment, the crisis of the lost crystal is put aside. When did a baby hedgehog get here? Where are his parents? _How_ did he even get _here?_

Completely unaware of the larger being’s predicament, the blue hoglet shivers and shuffles into a new position. The night breeze has picked up slightly, and the tiny creature squeaks and instinctively snuggles into her soft feathers. The high-pitched noise draws the owl’s attention back down. 

Her predicament shifts.

She can’t leave him here alone. He’s hardly a year old. If he doesn’t get killed somehow, he’s going to die from starvation or hypothermia. But bringing a child with her is a guarantee for her capture. Babies are needy and noisy, and she has a bounty on her head. 

The hoglet squeaks again. With equal parts reluctance and concern, she brings the child to her chest, hoping to share more warmth. Immediately, he releases a contented chirp. The tired owl sighs heavily, the battle of practicality and compassion taking their toll. While she may not be a monster, she is a traitor and wanted criminal. Mind made up, she nods and makes a sound of affirmation.

She’ll leave him at the next village she finds. It’s a horrible thing to do, but he’ll suffer _more_ if she takes him along. She doesn’t know if she can even provide for _herself_ , and she will not willingly and consciously subject an innocent child to that kind of life. If they catch her, who _knows_ what they will do to him?

Slowly, she lowers the child from her chest. He lets out a squeak, clearly upset about the loss of warmth and soft feathers. His little nose quivers.

 _Ignore it_ , she tells herself. You _can’t_ get attached to him.

While it isn’t the most ideal carrier, the satchel will do for now. Her wing is healed—another mystery that she does not have time to unravel—and she needs to get as much distance as she can between her and the chief’s warriors. The child is squeaking louder now, verging on a full on cry. In an effort to placate and quiet him, she pulls him back to her chest. 

“ _Shhh, shhh._ It’s _okay_ , little one.” She whispers, moving a wing in circular motions on his head. The hoglet begins to calm down, his cries quieting. Her feathers accidentally brush against his nose, causing his face to scrunch up. The sight of the child’s expression sends a glimmer of joy through the tired owl. He’s so very tiny and fluffy.

You’re getting attached, a voice warns. You’ve just met him and already he’s wrapped you around his finger.

 _Shut up_ , she calls back in the midst of humming a lullaby. I’m not taking him with me. _I can’t._

One sneeze later, the hoglet’s body relaxes and he nuzzles back into her feathers. For the first time, his eyes begin to flutter open. 

Casually curious, she moves the child so she can get a full look at his face. And immediately wishes that she had not.

Green. Bright green. Green like a monster from a nightmarish vision, green like demonic fire razing the island, green like a forbidden power that should have been locked away but it’s _here_ and they’re abusing it and it will _destroy everything if they ever get a hold of all seven._

_Emerald green._

It was here the whole time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was brought to you by Steven Universe.
> 
> In all seriousness, this idea was something crazy I thought of while musing on where Movie Sonic's powers come from and seeing DelDiz's artwork on DeviantArt (it's awesome, check it out). While it is likely that he was "blessed" by the Chaos Emeralds, I find that the scope and strength of his abilities to be a little much for that. I mean, compared to game Sonic, the Blue Devil has much more potential. The difference is that he's Unskilled, but Strong, while our game hedgie is Weak (in comparison), but Skilled. Add that to the fact that normal Movie Sonic has powers that are typically associated with the emeralds or the use of them. These include:
> 
> -Being a source of unlimited energy  
> -Entering Bullet Time  
> -Glowy eyes & body  
> -Affect electronics (I think the emeralds did this in Sonic X once)  
> -Blue aura that can damage targets (SA1's Super Sonic had a blue aura rather than a gold one, and Rush Adventure's could conjure a blue shield)  
> -MOST IMPORTANTLY, his powers are affected by emotion, particularly anger and sadness. The final fight of the movie is basically the moment in SA1 where game Sonic revitalizes the emeralds with positive emotions. Also, he basically comes back from the dead.
> 
> As for how an emerald became a baby hedgehog, the Chaos Emeralds are described as being able to grant wishes and do miracles. And it's been mentioned that they have some form of sentience and that they react to emotions. So the emerald sensed Longclaw's sadness and dreams of starting a family and capitalized on that.
> 
> Whew, that was a lot. It's a crazy idea, but I kind of love it. I might turn this into a series of one-shots exploring the Gemhog AU later. Thanks for reading this far!


	2. rainbow fairies

He doesn’t think anyone else has dreams as strange as his.

Most of his dreams make sense. After he’d seen _Speed_ for the first time, his night was filled with fast cars, detectives, and high stakes heroism. The first time he'd had a snowball fight—he'd thrown from the trees, confusing the _heck_ out of those kids—he’d dreamt of snowflakes and laughter.

The day after he’d sent Robotnik away, his dreams were plagued with red. Screams echoing off cold metal. The deafening crack of two impacts on the concrete.

His weirdest dreams have to do with the voices.

In them, everything is hazy, as if he’s seeing things through a fog. Sounds have this strange echoing quality, ebbing in and out of audibility. Half the time, he isn’t even sure if he’s actually there. Sometimes shapes will materialize in his vision, never recognizable. Scarlet fur and bright green grass. Giant waves, bigger than anything he'd ever seen. Rage, joy, and sorrow. There are always six voices in his dreams, disembodied noises overlapping and pleading for him to come back. Every time, his heart feels heavy with this weird feeling. Like he’s missing something important.

He doesn’t know why he’s remembering this now.

The fire was the result of a gas leak, they said. Without thinking, he raced into the building, ready to help anybody in need. His super speed meant that he could get people out in the blink of an eye, but there were so _many_ and he could only help one at a time. In the end, everybody managed to get out relatively unscathed. However, the multiple trips had taken a toll on the hedgehog. There was ash and smoke in his lungs, and he was struggling to keep going. 

Everyone was safe and accounted for, but he had to go back in for one last check. Tom reaches after him, but he darts back into the building anyways.

He’s nearly done when a sharp cough tears out of his mouth, and he’s forced to stop to catch his breath. The world is blurring, black creeping into the edges of his vision. In the fog, he sees Donut Lord running up to him. The hedgehog nearly faints right there but something _groans_ and suddenly there’s a slab of rock heading straight for Tom and _no, I can’t lose you too, Da_ —

Pain spreads throughout his body, and the last thing he remembers is his name and a flash of blue.

* * *

When he opens his eyes, he finds himself in an endless expanse of stars. Millions of white orbs suspended in a gradient of blue. Everything is completely still, save for the twinkling of stars. 

_Where am I?_

There’s a strange sensation dancing on his skin, a little like the buzzing of bumblebees. He doesn’t know how he knows this, but there’s someone out there. Normally, his first instinct would be to run, but something anchors him to the spot. 

Confused, he calls out into the starry expanse.

“Hello?”

He doesn’t see it at first, but eventually he notices some stars moving. _Closer_ , he quickly realizes. And then the six lights aren’t stars anymore, but cute, little flying things with wings and balls of light hovering above their heads.

_Uhhh…_

His mind is a mishmash of emotions and questions. Where is he? Is everyone okay? What are these rainbow fairy things? Is Kevin Hart the Vice President?

Something moves in front of his vision, derailing his runaway train of thought. Blinking, he realizes that it is one of the fairies. An unrecognizable emotion flickers inside of him, warm and cold at the same time. What is it?

“Hey there, little guy,” he greets softly, eyes now focused on the flying creature. He's whispering, why is he whispering? The green fairy tilts its— _his_ , it's a _his_ —head at him, the glowing ball following suit. For some reason, the sight makes the hedgehog smile. He holds his hands out— _bare_ hands, _wait where are my gloves?_ —to form what he hopes is a non-threatening perch. After a moment, the fairy descends.

His smile widens. Around him, the other five hover close by, a rainbow of colors against a night sky. He’s never been one to slow down, but everything just looks so _beautiful_ and _peaceful_ that the thought enters his mind. The green fairy snuggles into his hand, and the hedgehog feels his heart flood with warmth. In that moment, he suddenly realizes that his quills are glowing. But there is no anger or distress linked to the glow, and the usual bolts of electricity do not arc from his body. Instead, the aura seems almost _calm_ and _happy—he_ feels _happy_. The fact abruptly shatters the idyllic setting.

People could be _injured_ or _dead_ for all he knows and he’s standing here playing with fairies! _How is… Why…_ He needs to go back NOW.

In an instant, he feels a buzz on his skin and sees a spark shoot off from his body. The fairies back away, the one in his hands staring at him with... _sorrow?_

_I have to go._

The green fairy rises from his perch, and joins his brethren in the air. Hesitantly _—_ why are you _hesitating_ , people are in _danger—_ the hedgehog lowers his arms and asks for the way back. Home. To Green Hills.

His heart twists painfully. 

The fairies share a look with each other, balls of light flickering. Eventually, they form into a circle around the hedgehog, arms linked. Six sets of eyes stare into one. Green, red, blue, yellow, purple, white, and...

There’s a weird haziness in his mind, like he’s grasping for something just out of reach. But concern cuts through regardless, though it leaves a messy incision.

_I’m sorry._

A feeling tinged with sadness and happiness fills the air. It feels like resignation. A moment later, the circle begins to rotate, slowly at first and then gradually picking up speed. The fairies disappear into a blaze of color, a rainbow piercing through the night sky.

In the midst of the chaos, his heart and mind conflicted, the hedgehog hears six voices whisper something back. 

When he opens his eyes a second time, he finds himself in the embrace of two relieved voices. While he smiles and nestles deeper, there’s a tiny shard of him that feels like he’s lost again.

_See you later._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little variation on Dreaming of Times Gone By and Genetic Memory. Sonic has memories of before: they're just locked away and unable to be easily accessed. 
> 
> I figure that the limited sentience of the emeralds is this kind of hive mind in which they are constantly "talking" with each other. Even over large distances, the emeralds can reach out to one another.
> 
> Sonic's source of drama in this one-shot stems from the fact that the door between him and the other emeralds has been closed. The connection is still there, it's just muddled now. He's completely sentient, with a personality and desires outside of the emeralds' collective. As such, he doesn't fit into the hive mind, and thus lacks the full connection.


	3. lapis lazuli

Considering that he was on the run from a deranged government scientist and talking to a blue, talking alien, he deserves some slack for not noticing. It was easy to miss, given everything in his mind at the time. But now that the town myth is living in his attic _—this is really his life now, wonderful—_ he finally notices it. 

For someone who allegedly grew up on an island, the sheriff muses, Sonic should know how to swim. Hedgehogs _can_ swim, according to Maddie. But for whatever reason, the hyperactive teenager can’t.

Maybe it _is_ just an alien thing. After all, Earth hedgehogs can’t talk and shoot out electricity. It’s a trade-off. Or maybe—and he feels like _this_ is the more _likely_ one, considering that this hedgehog has been on the run for ten years—Sonic never learned how.

As the sheriff of Green Hills, he feels responsible for the safety of all the town’s inhabitants. Montana is a landlocked state, but there are lakes and pools and rivers. People have drowned in their own bathtubs.

Armed with a new mission for this week, the mighty Donut Lord goes to find the elusive Blue Devil. 

* * *

It turns out, teaching a blue hedgehog how to swim is a lot easier said than done.

Surprisingly, Sonic agrees to the swimming lessons with little persuasion. The fact that the lessons are private and being taught by his favorite human _may_ have something to do with that: Sonic seizes each opportunity to hang out with people, especially with the Donut Lord. Though Maddie has to work that day, she manages to stay involved by supplying the alien with a new pair of red flip flops and a snorkeling mask.

It’s a pleasant, sunny Saturday morning when he takes Sonic to Rosa’s pool. The grateful school teacher is happy to let the town's heroes borrow her backyard for a couple of hours.

Ever the wild card, Sonic shows no hesitancy in getting into the water. It takes a couple of minutes for Tom to convince the kid to cease the splash war so they can actually get to the planned activity. Skipping the step of acclimating the student to being in the water, he decides to start the kid with something easy: freestyle kicks while holding onto the edge of the pool. Sonic takes to the exercise a little too enthusiastically; Tom has to repeatedly instruct him to not kick so wide and to stay parallel to the water. Eventually however, the hedgehog catches on and then it’s on to the next activity. 

Phase Two of Operation Blue Wave is a little more involved, though still fairly easy. It is a simple float on your back in the water. The man’s reasoning is inspired by both articles he’s read on swimming lessons and several adorable YouTube videos of hedgehogs in sinks. He has to sneak a video once Sonic gets it. 

It takes some creative thinking due to the hedgehog’s quills, but Tom manages to find a space on Sonic’s back where he can place his hands without getting pricked. Carefully—and with lots of encouragement—the man gently positions the kid on his back in the water. The blue alien flinches, sucking in a quick breath. He immediately grabs Tom’s arms, his bare hands locked in a death grip. 

“Hey, hey, it’s _fine_. You’re gonna be fine _._ ”

Green eyes stare at him, pupils wide and wavering. Tom feels like he’s staring at a deer caught in headlights.

“We can stop if you don’t want to keep going, okay buddy? We can always come back and try again.”

The statement seems to cut through the haze. “ _N-No_ ,” Sonic begins, more to himself than anyone else. “Let’s keep going. _I_ _wanna keep going._ ”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely! C’mon, let’s start again!”

As if to punctuate his declaration, the kid’s eyes go large and his little nose quivers. His mouth curves into a small pout.

“ _Please?_ ”

With a sigh, Tom loses the battle of wills. The teen smiles, pleased at his victory. Stupid alien hedgehogs and their cuteness.

Against his better judgment, the sheriff resumes the lesson. While he can tell that the kid’s smile and professed readiness are clearly covering for something, the alien seems to be doing better. At the very least, his body is a lot less tense. Even so, Tom is reluctant to move forward in the lesson, something that his student eventually notices.

“Hey, watch this!”

Before the human can react, Sonic zips out of the shallows and to a deeper part of the pool. Hanging onto the edge, the alien sucks in a breath before falling backward into the water. A shout wretches itself from Tom’s lips before he realizes that somehow, the teen’s stunt worked. _Somehow_ , the little blue hedgehog is floating in the water all by himself.

Tom isn’t sure if he should be proud or upset. The smile on his face is a mixture of annoyance, relief, and pride. His mind can’t settle on one emotion, and so he decides to grab his phone and get a video instead. The second he turns around to go up the stairs, he feels a strange heaviness. And then the sound of splashing abruptly cuts through the air. Tom whips back around just in time to see cobalt blue disappear beneath the water.

_“SONIC!”_

If you were to ask the sheriff of Green Hills what happened in the moments following, he wouldn’t be able to tell you. Everything slips into this hazy blankness where time switches between crawling and running. His body moves automatically, spurred into action by training and overwhelming concern. It isn’t until the unconscious teen is out of the pool and hacking up water that everything slams back into focus. 

_“Da-Donut Lord?”_ The hedgehog mumbles, in between coughs. His entire body is shivering. Immediately, Tom reaches for a nearby towel and wraps it around the space creature. 

“Are you okay?” Tom asks quietly, concern etched on his face. Sonic nods weakly. The sheriff lets out a breath that he didn't realize he was holding.

For several moments, the two sit together in silence as the hedgehog attempts to clear his lungs. The sun has moved higher in the sky, a white orb shining through the trees. Somewhere on the street, a bicycle bell rings.

Eventually, Tom breaks the stillness. “What happened?” he questions softly, still very cognizant of Sonic’s state of being.

At his question, the hedgehog’s eyes seem to get this strange empty quality, as if they’re two dull mirrors reflecting back nothing. Or maybe _everything_. A million years contained inside two orbs. All of a sudden Tom is reminded that the kid living in his attic—he’s barely a _teenager_ —is an actual alien from who knows where with powers that could easily destroy an entire country. Despite how much the space creature loves to talk, he has revealed very little about his life before. Who he is, why he has his— _oh god,_ what if his powers started going off while he was in the _pool?_ While _they_ were in the pool? Sonic isn't hurt by his own electricity but— _oh god_ — _he would never hurt him on purpose but_ —

For a moment, the sheriff is so caught up in his thoughts that he almost misses the response to his question.

“ _I’m sorry,_ ” Sonic whispers, and the human immediately knows that something big must have happened because the hedgehog _never_ talks slowly unless he’s feeling especially emotional. “I _shouldn’t_ have… I _thought_ that… I didn’t want you to think that I was…”

The hedgehog dissolves into tears as Tom draws him into a hug. “ _I’m sorry,_ ” the child whispers again. “ _I had it and then I couldn’t move all of a sudden and all I could think about was sinking and how I can’t float but that’s dumb ‘cause you just taught me how to do it and I_ _—_ ”

“ _Shhh…_ It’s _okay_. I’m right here, buddy. I got you.” Tom comforts, pulling his kid closer. His free hand begins to carefully comb through the quills on the alien’s head before settling behind his ears. The sheriff doesn’t know how long the two of them sit there, him petting a blue space creature and the space creature crying. The midday sun hangs above in the sky, drying and warming the two. 

Through the thickness of the towel, he can feel some of the tension ebb out of the hedgehog’s body. Dull eyes slowly focus into vivid green. 

“ _Can…_ ” Sonic begins, wiping his eyes and sounding so very young. “ _Can we go home?_ ”

“Of course,” Tom answers, rising to his feet and helping the hedgehog sit up. A second passes before the human speaks again. It’s a short walk but considering everything that has happened he feels like he needs to offer this.

“Do you want me to carry you to the car?”

Sonic freezes for a moment, clearly surprised by the question. A thoughtful expression briefly spreads across his face before he wipes his eyes dry. He nods. 

“ _Okay._ ” The sheriff smiles. Taking a minute to grab their belongings and to notify Rosa, he gently picks the hedgehog up. Immediately, the child nestles himself into the warm embrace.

By the time they reach the car, Sonic is already asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes time, woo!
> 
> First of all, I know that a fic about Sonic drowning is not at all new, even in this particular canon. But I wanted to try my hand at it, and muse a bit on a weird headcanon I have for our little gemhog.
> 
> Sonic doesn't know that he is an emerald-turned-hedgehog. But as we have seen so far, aspects of his true identity show up on occasion. In this AU, I figure that one of the reasons why Sonic can't swim (besides the fact that he was never taught how, Longclaw didn't want him to go outside, much less to the beach) is because he has this subconscious awareness of his real form. In other words, Sonic can't swim because he subconsciously knows he is actually a rock that will sink in water. His body is physically capable of swimming but his mind is like, "no, this isn't a thing" and that causes him to freeze up. 
> 
> Moving on, Sonic's eyes will switch to blue when he's very emotional. When he's angry, this color change is accompanied by the usual electricity and glowyness. But when memories from before or quirks from his true identity show up, his eyes will sometimes turn this dull, empty blue. Think Lapis Lazuli from Steven Universe before her gem was healed. Except Sonic's eyes aren't reflective and instead show his real age and the star scape from his dreams. A bit like Lady Amalthea/the Unicorn from The Last Unicorn.
> 
> Speaking of Lapis (and chapter titles), the lapis lazuli gemstone is toxic and dissolves when submerged in water.


	4. geology class

It’s a little after two o’clock when Maddie’s cellphone rings. Drawing her gaze from the office window, the veterinarian answers the call with only a moment’s hesitation.

“Tom! What’s up?” She opens, joy coloring her voice.

“Maddie, _hi_.” The sheriff responds. His voice sounds vaguely tense and breathless, causing Maddie to frown. “Could you do me a favor? Mrs. Pinski rear-ended Billy’s car on Market Street, and I’m filling out the report.”

“ _Oh my god, are they okay?_ ”

“No one’s hurt. It was more of an inconvenience than anything. Mrs. Pinski has apologized to Billy at least ten times, and offered to give him a week’s supply of her chocolate chip cookies.”

Maddie has to stifle a laugh. “Sounds like Mrs. Pinski alright.”

There’s a brief, comfortable lull as the couple gathers their thoughts, waiting for the other to speak. The heavy patter of raindrops outside echoes through the room.

Tom is the first to break the silence. “Listen, can you please pick up the kid from school today?" He asks. "I don’t think I’ll be finished in time, and he shouldn’t be running in the rain to an empty house.”

“Of course,” Maddie replies. “I’ll let Lisa know and then I’ll pop over there. I’ll have to bring him back to the office, though; I’ve still got another three hours left.”

Though she has no real way of confirming, Maddie knows that there is a grin on her husband’s face. “Oh boy, the Blue Devil at a _vet office?_ I wish you the best of luck.”

The veterinarian rolls her eyes before responding. “ _Thanks_ , babe. Love you. Go and save the world for me.”

* * *

The rain is still pouring down when Maddie pulls into the car loop at the school. Squinting through the moisture on her windows, she catches a glimpse of cobalt blue and red sneakers. She taps the car horn lightly to get the child’s attention, and in a split second, the passenger door opens and closes. A red backpack and lunchbox are thrown into the back seat.

“Hi Pretzel Lady!” Sonic greets happily, mood not at all hampered by the overcast weather. The veterinarian offers him a smile, before narrowing her gaze and gesturing to the side. Rolling his eyes and sighing, Sonic switches to the back row and clicks into the booster seat. 

“You’re picking me up today?”

“Yep. Tom’s busy at work right now.”

The hedgehog’s eyes widen. “Whoa, _seriously?_ What’s he doing?”

“There was a fender-bender on Market Street. Nobody’s hurt, but he has to fill out an accident report and help get the cars moved.” The veterinarian pauses briefly to turn the SUV onto another street before continuing. “So I came instead. I’ve still got a few hours left on the clock, so how would you like to come with me to the office?”

The blue alien answers immediately. “Sure!”

It’s a fifteen drive back to the office, a fairly short commute for most people. But for the excited speedster, the trip seems to be an eternity. Realizing that the teen’s enthusiasm is unlikely to die down, Maddie racks her brain for an activity to do while she finishes her work. Normally, she wouldn’t mind having Sonic help her, but she highly doubts that he’s going to want to assist her with paperwork.

Sonic bolts from the car into the building, his backpack and lunchbox in tow. Maddie can’t help but grin when she enters and sees the little space creature chatting animatedly with the receptionist. It’s an adorable sight, but she has to finish her work. She can see the nervousness in the woman's expression.

“ _O-Kay_ , time to go, Sonic. Thanks, Annie.”

Taking the child's hand, she leads him down the hallway and into her office. Her reports still sit unfinished on her desk, computer still on. Sonic jumps into a chair, dropping his bag on the ground and shedding his damp raincoat. 

“So what are we doing today?” He asks, eagerly. "Are we helping the tortoises again?"

Maddie smiles, sitting down as well. “Not today, sorry. I have my reports to finish. And you have some homework to do. Don’t you have a science test coming up?”

At her words, Sonic lets out a groan. The veterinarian’s lips twitch with the hint of laughter, but her tone remains direct.

“The sooner you get it done, the sooner you can play. Okay?”

Sonic simply whines again, muttering something about her being “so uncool”. Despite his complaints however, he digs through his backpack and pulls out a workbook and pencil pouch. 

The veterinarian smiles again, pleased. For the next couple minutes, her and Sonic work quietly, the sounds of rain, keystrokes, pencils, and humming occasionally breaking the silence. Maddie manages to finish two reports before something catches her attention. Across from her, Sonic has gone silent and almost completely still. His eyes are focused intensely on a page in the workbook. The sight of the typically hyperactive hedgehog still and quiet perturbs Maddie slightly. Concerned, she calls out his name. At once, the teen's body sparks back into motion, his eyes flicking from the page to her.

“Something wrong?”

The hedgehog initially dismisses her question. A moment later, his eyes dart to the side and his ears flatten slightly. “ _So, um,_ " he starts, flipping a page back. "Mrs. Driscoll explained this in class, and I think I got it, but can you, _um…_ ”. Sonic fidgets in his seat, looking faintly embarrassed. He pulls at the hem of his shirt. “Can you check my answers, please?”

Maddie nods, warmth in her eyes. She pushes a report aside, and reaches across the desk. “What are you working on right now?”

“The rock cycle,” Sonic replies, twirling his pencil and shifting in his seat. “Which is kinda of crazy to think about 'cause it apparently can take millions of years. How do scientists know that these rocks are changing, and aren't just new ones? I'd get bored just staring at a rock for so long. What are we having for dinner?”

“I was thinking spaghetti,” Maddie announces, without missing a beat. After living with the hedgehog for a while, she has grown fairly accustomed to the hedgehog’s unpredictability. The blue alien lets out a joyful noise before diving into an erratic ramble, bouncing in his seat. 

Smiling, the veterinarian resumes her review of the homework. As she nears the bottom of the last page, her eyebrows furrow slightly. She moves the workbook to the middle of the desk.

“Looks good to me. You only missed one,” Maddie states, causing Sonic to stop mid-sentence. The speedster peers at the workbook, following where the woman’s finger is pointing. “This one’s wrong.”

Almost instantly, green eyes narrow. “Are you _sure?_ ” he questions, clearly skeptical.

The doubt in his tone makes Maddie pause. She blinks. “ _Yes, I am,_ ” she responds, kind but firm. The woman points again, this time to a colored picture on the page. “This isn’t an emerald.”

At this point, the alien is standing on his chair, trying to get a better view. He stares at the veterinarian, his hands on the table's surface and one of his ears quirked up. “Then what is it?”

“A _diamond_. See how it’s _white_ and looks kind of like a cone? Emeralds are _green_ and usually rectangular when cut.”

“But can’t they be other colors too?” The teen asks, picking up the workbook. His gaze is concentrated on the picture of the gemstone. 

The veterinarian shakes her head. “I’m not a geologist, but I’m pretty sure they only come in green. Also, the book says that this gem is the hardest substance, and as far as I know that's a diamond."

There’s a brief silence as Sonic stares at the question and his written answer. Maddie can see the wheels spinning in his head, the typically fast axles caught in a rut. Eventually, the hedgehog shakes his head and drops the workbook on the table, shrugging. His familiar smirk slips into place as he reclines back in the chair. 

“Whatever you say, Pretzel Lady. I think _I’m_ right.” 

Maddie grins, shaking her head slightly. “Okay, hotshot,” she teases, reaching over and ruffling the fur on the teen's head. The space creature attempts to push her hand away, but the tiny purr that escapes from his lips when her fingers brush his ears betrays him. At one point, she finds the exact spot behind his ears, and the hedgehog's entire body just shivers and melts.

Immediately, Sonic pulls away. The teen laughs nervously as he deliberately avoids eye contact and attempts to smooth his quills back. When his gaze finally wanders back to Maddie, the veterinarian gives him a warm, sincere smile. Tilting his head, the alien responds in kind before dropping his eyes back down.

There’s a small pout on his face as he returns to his homework. 

“ _'M still right._ ”

“I love you too, Blueberry.”

“Yeah, sure, thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, shout out to Oneshot_bravo and their awesome Sonic Movie one-shots. Those one-shots were just some that inspired me to even write a Sonic fanfiction. I've always been hesitant to write for this fandom, and so seeing so much support is amazing. The fact that "Luster" (which is great, please read it and give Oneshot_bravo's stories some appreciation) exists just blows my mind. I am beyond grateful.
> 
> To the notes!
> 
> For this chapter, I wanted to take a break from the hurt/comfort and angst. Which is kind of atypical for me because pretty all my stuff is in that genre??? I know that fluff isn't everyone's thing, but I really wanted some wholesome content. And there aren't enough fluffy Maddie and Sonic interactions. In this chapter, I wanted to explore the Genetic Memory concept again, except in a more happy, less sad way. It always kind of bothered me that the "Chaos EMERALDS" aren't technically emeralds, but it's a fictional universe with a talking blue speedy boi. So I thought it might be interesting to address that while also showing more confused gemhog.
> 
> It's my personal headcanon that Maddie always makes Sonic put on his seatbelt and sit in a booster seat considering his past experiences with cars. When she found out about the battle on the highway (where Sonic literally FLEW out of a speeding truck), she made him promise to always wear it. Tom's been following suit after his wife's example/nagging. Sonic's just like "I crash into things at high speed at the time, but okay". 
> 
> One not original headcanon I firmly believe in is that Sonic loves having his ears petted. Especially the backs of them. If you get him in just the right spot, he'll melt into a purring mess (real-life hedgehogs purr when they're happy). As for the nickname "Blueberry", I figured Maddie would want to give her son a food nickname too. Sonic actually really likes blueberries (berries can be used as treats for real hedgehogs, and Sonic mentions eating berries at the start of the movie), so it fits.
> 
> Let me know in the comments if you want more fluff or more hurt/comfort.


	5. pink bubbles

It was an accident, she recalls the art teacher saying. Another student had been trying to get a gallon of paint down from the shelf, and leaned too far over. Sonic had rushed over to keep the kid from falling, and ended up right in the splash zone. Which is how, on one otherwise perfect day, Maddie picked up a _pink_ and blue hedgehog up from school.

If it wasn’t for the fact that the teen was so embarrassed and uncomfortable, the veterinarian thinks this would be hilarious. But as it stands now, it looks like today is going to be a bath day.

By some miracle, Sonic’s sneakers make it through the spill unscathed. His shirt and gloves aren't too terrible, but they should be washed later. Most of the paint is on his head and back, meaning that it has seeped in between his quills where it can’t be easily cleaned out. At least, not without help. Checking the temperature one last time, Maddie turns off the faucet. Next to her, Sonic continues to unsuccessfully remove some of the paint off his back quills. Most of it has been wiped and washed off at this point, but she can still see spots of pink. With an amused snort, Maddie gets the hedgehog’s attention and directs him to get into the tub. She stops him when she sees that his hands are still covered.

“Gloves off, please.” The veterinarian requests. 

The hedgehog blinks. “ _O-Oh, yeah, right._ ” He mumbles, before slowly taking them off. White fabric is peeled back to reveal short claws, and blue and peach fur. In the palms of both hands where the fur is the lighter color, a cerulean zig-zag pattern fans out from the center. 

The first time she’d seen them, Maddie had immediately interrogated the hedgehog about them. They looked like _electrical burns_ , did that mean his powers were _hurting him?_ Sonic had swiftly dismissed her questions, claiming that he’s had them since he was little.

“ _Longclaw made me wear gloves to cover them,_ ” he murmurs almost inaudibly. 

Biting her tongue, the veterinarian drops the matter and files it away in her collection of mysteries about the blue hedgehog. She and Tom will be having a lengthy conversation about this later.

Sonic lands in the bath with a small plink, the sound drawing Maddie’s attention back. The suds immediately cover the small space creature, enveloping him in a blanket of lavender and chamomile.

She’s heard it several times, but Maddie can’t help but grin when a relaxed purr escapes from Sonic’s lips as she begins to carefully massage her fingers through his quills. The paint begins to stain some of the bubbles, turning them a cotton candy pink. Absentmindedly, the woman starts humming. She stops when one of the alien’s quills suddenly dislodges, coming away in her hand with a quiet snap.

A confused expression materializes on Sonic’s face. “Maddie…?”

“Just one of your quills,” she replies, placing the object in question on the vanity. “How was school today? Besides the whole paint fiasco, of course.”

“Oh, it was great! We did this really cool experiment in science class where we made this thing called ‘elephant toothpaste’ which isn’t actually for elephants, it’s just called that ‘cause it’s big and looks like toothpaste and it was…”

Sonic instantly dives into one of his trademark fast-paced story slash ramblings. Maddie smiles, content to listen and watch the bubbles swirl. She’s finished with his head quills at this point, finally moving to his back. Her hand brushes against a spot on his chest, and he abruptly jerks back. 

“ _H-Hey!_ ” He exclaims, trying not to laugh. The Pretzel Lady apologizes, drawing her hands back. Sonic glares at her for a moment longer before turning back around. 

“As I was saying before I was so _rudely interrupted_ , Louie was trying to convince Mrs. Driscoll to let him ‘borrow’ one of her microscopes…”.

Maddie resumes her motions, finally washing the last bit of paint away. The water has cooled down significantly at this point, and so she politely interrupts Sonic again. The teen’s monologue continues as Maddie unplugs the drain and rinses him off with the shower wand. As he steps out of the tub, the veterinarian wraps him in a soft white towel. _Burritohog_ , her brain thinks, as she rubs the hedgehog dry. He’s so adorable.

Once he’s dry enough—and fluffy enough—to her satisfaction, Maddie stands and grabs a pair of clean socks. She hands them to the grateful hedgehog, who quickly slips them on. A moment later, Sonic smiles at her, a shy little arc instead of his usual smirk. A wordless sign of gratitude as his paws shuffle on the bath mat. This isn’t the first time she’s bathed him, and yet every time he thanks her as if this is the first. 

“Anytime, Blueberry.” She replies, beaming back at him. “C’mon. I still need to brush your hair.”

Moving into the living room, Maddie takes a coarse, bristle brush and begins taming the mass of blue fur and quills. Sonic sits on the couch next to her, his legs swinging off the edge. He wrings his ungloved hands a couple of times before eventually clasping them together, covering the strange markings.

Maddie’s mouth forms into a thin line. Forcing him to speak isn’t going to get them anywhere. He’ll tell them when he’s ready, and no sooner.

“ _So,_ ” the veterinarian starts, interrupting the relative silence. Sonic flinches slightly under her fingers, and she mentally berates herself. Wonderful job there, sweetie. “I’m in the mood for something sweet. Why don’t we bake some cookies?”

At once, Sonic’s expression lights up. “Ooh, what kind?” He asks, spinning to face her.

Maddie sets the brush down and smiles. “Any. I’ll let you choose.”

“Way past cool!”

* * *

It’s late at night when Tom strides into the bathroom. Sonic is tucked into his race car bed upstairs, fast asleep. Ozzy is curled up on his bed, quickly nodding off. And Maddie is in bed, dressed in her pajamas and a book in her hand.

Flicking the light on, the sheriff looks around the room. His eyes quickly land on the object of their search, the vivid color contrasting against the white countertop. Picking up the blue quill, Tom turns off the light and retreats to the bedroom. Maddie gives him a look as he goes into the closet and retrieves a black lock box. 

“Is this really necessary, Tom?” 

“Yes,” the sheriff answers, spinning the number dials. “I tried burning them, and it didn’t work.”

Surprise colors his wife’s tone. She sets her book down on the nightstand. “ _You tried_ … And it didn’t _work?_ ”

“No. I’m just gonna assume it’s just an alien hedgehog thing.”

“I know his quills are pretty durable, but _not burning?_ How is that possible?”

A click comes from the lock box, and Tom opens the container. He places the faintly glowing quill inside, next to two others, before closing the box and returning it to its hiding place.

“The same way generating electricity is, I guess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last bit section has the same energy as a Marvel movie stinger and I am living for it. Anyways, I got some long notes for you.
> 
> This chapter draws a lot of inspiration from chapter 1 of Invader_Sam's "5 Times Sonic Caught Himself Before Calling Them 'Mom & Dad' and 1 Time He Didn't Hold Back". I love that fic, it's so wholesome and fluffy and you should read it if you haven't.
> 
> We're keeping with the Pretzel Mom and Hedgie Son fluffiness in this chapter. I love this relationship so much. But wait, there's Tom with the plot! In all seriousness, I'm wondering how nobody ever mentioned/noticed Sonic's quills over his 10 years in hiding. You would think Crazy Carl at least would have one of these things. As for what happens in this chapter, I figure that Tom would collect all of Sonic's quills and hide them so bad guys can't use them. As for why they don't burn, well that's the gemhog part of this AU.
> 
> Sonic isn't like the gems in Steven Universe: his body isn't a Hard Light construct. The emerald isn't physically on his body; rather, his entire body is the emerald in another form. Sonic is made of chaos energy, and so are his quills. His quills are like mini emeralds, which is why they continue to produce energy even after being severed from the main body. Sonic can absorb their energy, which only has a temporary de-powering effect as they can just produce more energy if exposed to strong emotions.
> 
> I recently got a hold of the movie novelization which isn't 100% accurate of course, but it does have some interesting bits. For one, it straight up refers to Sonic's powers are being derived from chaos energy. Checkmate, canon. The book also gives Sonic another power: he can do this clap thing where he gathers electricity in his hands and then claps them to release it at a target. That whole thing made me wonder about his gloves, and then I got onto Frozen and this idea I saw on TV Tropes before the film came out. The gloves "contain" Sonic's powers (at least the ones that come through his hands). And then I remembered Silver the Hedgehog and Airbender and electrical burns, and the rest is history. The marks on his hands glow when he uses his powers, but we normally can't see them.


	6. school day

He swears that the clock is moving faster than usual. That's the only explanation for why he's got less than five minutes before he has to leave.

"C'mon, where is it, where is it?"

It’s not that he wants to be unorganized, it’s just that there are so many other things that he’d rather do than clean. Like watch movies or read comics or hang out with his friends. Much more entertaining than tidying up his room. But as he rapidly shoves a pencil pouch and a book into his bag—we were supposed to start reading _The Last Unicorn_ , right?—he thinks that maybe, just _maybe_ , he should probably start changing his habits.

“Nicky!” A voice calls from downstairs. 

“Coming, Mom!” The boy responds, hastily zipping up his backpack. Where is his— _aha_ , found it!

Cell phone and bag in hand, he slides down the banister. He’s in such a hurry that he nearly slams into someone. 

“Nicholas! What did I say about sliding on the railing?” His mother scolds, fixing her ponytail and picking up some scattered papers. Next to her, a golden retriever barks excitedly. The woman pulls a hand through the boy’s curly, black hair, attempting to straighten it. “Do you have your _phone?_ ”

The boy rolls his eyes while rubbing the top of the dog's head. “ _Yes_ , Mom.” 

A man emerges from the kitchen behind his mother. Donned in a beige uniform and holding a half-eaten glazed donut, he levels a skeptical look at the teen. 

“And your duffel bag?” He asks, a knowing grin on his face. “Unless you’re planning to sit out the biggest baseball game of the year.”

There’s a brief moment of stillness as the question percolates into the child’s mind. His brown eyes suddenly widen, and he races back upstairs with a hasty “Be right back!”. Behind him, his mother and father share a smile.

The boy rushes into his bedroom with a whoosh. Scanning the room, he finds his duffel bag sitting open by his closet. 

“How did I even _forget this?_ Stupid, stupid! Ugh, lemme check that I even _have_ my glove.”

Still chastising himself, the teen throws the bag onto a nearby chair and begins digging through it. As he quickly searches through the contents, he notices something fall to the floor out of the corner of his eye. Curious, the boy stops and peers down to see what it is. A confused expression appears on his face as he picks up the fallen item. It looks like… _a blue quill?_

As the teen stares at the strange object, his vision begins to blur. When he blinks back into focus, his heart is suddenly pounding in his chest. Looking back at the quill, he realizes that it is glowing.

“ _Oh my god!_ ” He exclaims, instantly dropping the object. His fingers feel warm, and he clasps his other hand over them. Behind him, he hears the sound of two sets of footsteps entering the room.

“Alright, buddy, you gotta go now.” A man announces. His voice sounds unusually loud. Blinking, the boy turns around to look at him. 

_Did Mom and Dad suddenly get taller?_ The teen thinks. There’s a weird prickling sensation dancing on his skin.

“Oh, _Sonic!_ ” Maddie greets, smiling like a doll. _What?_ Her head tilts sharply to the side like an owl. “I didn’t know you were here. Have you seen Nicky? I need to drop him off at school.”

In an instant, the air becomes cold and stagnant. Green eyes stare into blue and brown.

Sonic—no, _he’s_ __Nick_ y_, his real name is Nicholas Benjamin Wachowski and he goes to Hill Top Middle School—stares at them. Ice is creeping into his veins. “I-I’m _Nicky_ ,” he states, voice wavering. Blue fur drifts into his line of sight, and he forces himself to ignore it. _“I’m your_ _son.”_

The humans shake their heads. 

“Okay, space case,” Tom— _Dad_ , you’re my _dad_ , we practice at the baseball field every Saturday—comments, a grin on his face. It looks _wrong_. “Are you and him working together on this? You’re not our son.” The man turns to his wife before heading out the door. “C’mon, maybe he’s already in the car. See you later, Sonic!”

There’s a heaviness in Sonic’s chest as he watches the two humans leave. Darkness lurks at the edges of his vision, and everything is blurring again. His quills rub against one another and the feeling makes him want to scream. 

“Wait!” He shouts, trying to go after them. His legs don’t move. Looking down, he sees light blue crystals covering his feet, pinning him to the floor.

_N-No…_

Immobilized, Sonic can only watch in terror as the bedroom melts away into a dark forest. Tears stream down his face as he unsuccessfully tries to move. All of sudden, blue electricity erupts from his quills. The alien recoils, letting out a yelp of pain and shock. He’s _never_ been hurt by his own powers before.

 _“Tom! Maddie!”_ Sonic cries. In a panic, the teen tries to free his feet from their restraints and discovers that the crystal is growing higher on his legs. Lifting his hands, he sees that his fingers are turning into stone as well. 

As the crystal engulfs his body, the child calls out one final time. _“_ MOM! DAD!” Sonic screams. He can’t breathe. _“_ _Don’t leave me! Please…_ _”_.

A moment later, the ground opens up beneath him and he falls into a void of red. His lips are frozen.

* * *

Sonic bolts upright with a start, electricity arcing from his quills and his lungs sucking in shallow breaths. Immediately, he looks down at his body, and breathes a sigh of relief when he finds no crystal. Just his regular alien hedgehog legs and hands.

Hesitantly, the teenager draws in a breath. The moon peeks through the skylight above, a silver beam shining onto the attic floor. A nightlight on a nearby bedside table sits dark. Gradually, the lightning fades to small sparks. His eyes dim to a dull cerulean. 

“ _Just a dream,_ ” he whispers, heart still pounding. “ _It’s just a dream._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so that angst inspiration hit me hard. to those I promised fluff to, i'm sorry. 
> 
> To the notes!
> 
> Sonic's spent a lot chunk of his life watching human families interact and have fun. It's unfortunate fact, but it's very likely that he wishes that he could be like them. Normal. No powers to keep hidden, not being a literal alien. Having a house with a white picket fence and a dog and parents. For this chapter, I decided to take that idea and add a generous dose of angst, terror, and gemhog AU headcanon. 
> 
> As for the name of Nicky/Nicholas, it's a reference to the Shogakukan manga where Sonic was the superhero alter ego of this normal hedgehog kid named Nicky. The middle name, Benjamin, is a reference to Ben Schwartz. 
> 
> Sonic falls into a void of red and not darkness, because I feel like that color is more distressing for him. Robotnik wore red, blood is red, the robots had red eyes, and the echidnas are red.


	7. security blanket

“Has Sonic seemed… _off_ to you lately?” Maddie asks, one afternoon when the hedgehog is out of the house. Tom looks up from his newspaper.

“Off how?” The sheriff questions back, a quizzical look in his eyes. 

“He just seems less active than usual. Tired. He’s usually so energetic in the morning, but for the past few days I’ve had to drag him out of bed. And his quills seem less bright than usual.”

A thoughtful expression appears on Tom’s face before he speaks. “Maybe he’s just going through a phase.” The unspoken _“This could be a normal alien hedgehog thing and we don’t know”_ hangs in the air. “Or he’s just getting more comfortable with all of this. I don’t think anything’s changed recently. He hasn’t said anything and I haven’t heard anything from his teachers.”

“Do you think he’s been staying up late?” Maddie suggests, sliding down onto the couch next to her husband. Tom shakes his head. 

The veterinarian pauses, drawing in a breath. Her eyes suddenly widen. “Did his nightlight run out of batteries?” She asks, concern coloring her tone. 

Almost immediately, her husband responds. “ _No._ I checked them last night, and they were fine.” 

Maddie lets out a sigh of relief. A recent memory fills her mind.

_They found out about it by accident. They’d already gotten into bed, having already tucked Sonic in an hour ago. Ten minutes later, they’re awakened by barking and a yelp of frustration. Instantly, the man and woman get to their feet, grabbing a flashlight and hurrying down the stairs._

_In the kitchen, standing on a chair and digging through a drawer is their home’s newest resident. There's a fold in the rug nearby. Like a deer caught in the headlights, Sonic stares at them, green eyes comically wide._

_“Uh… Meow?”_

_Tom immediately sighs, rubbing the side of his face. He turns off the flashlight and flicks up a nearby light switch. “Kid, what are you doing? You’re supposed to be in bed.”_

_Sonic’s eyes dart around. “Uh, yeah! I was in bed. But then I got uh, thirsty and growing hedgehog boys need water, y’know? I figured you both were asleep so I came downstairs and silly me, I tripped on the rug and yeah.” The hedgehog finishes with a flourish of two finger guns. “Water.”_

_Maddie narrows her gaze at the alien, lifting her hand from Ozzy’s head. “And you’re looking for water in the drawer because… ?” She inquires. In a blink, the drawer slams shut. Sonic lets out a high-pitched laugh, clearly trying to look anywhere but the two humans. At that point, Ozzy finds it prudent to saunter over and start licking the already embarrassed hedgehog._

_The sheriff sucks in a long, heavy breath. He’s about to chastise the kid again before he sees something out of the corner of his vision._

_“Is that your nightlight?”_

_“No!” Sonic quickly blurts out, pushing Ozzy away. “Clearly we’re all tired ‘cause we’re imagining things, so let’s all just go to bed and forget about this, okay? Goodnight!”_

_His only responses are two skeptical faces. A beat of silence passes between the three. He’s not getting out of this one._

_Letting out a heavy sigh, the hedgehog sits down on the chair._

_“Yeah,” he mumbles, head down and tugging on the cuff of a glove. He looks up at Maddie and Tom before continuing. “It ran out of batteries.”_

_Immediately, Maddie walks up to the teenager, understanding in her eyes. “Baby,” she begins, pulling him in for a hug. “You don’t have to be ashamed about it. You could have just asked us. That’s what we’re here for.”_

_For a moment, Sonic simply stands there, frozen in the woman's arms. But then slowly, like a sprout climbing towards the sun, he melts into the embrace. There’s a shininess in his eyes and a realization in his mind._ _“Okay," the child says, walls finally broken._

They’d checked on the batteries every night since then.

Drawing a blank, Maddie leans against her husband. “I just don’t know what it could be,” she admits. “If it’s not school or his nightlight or his bed or staying up late, what is it? Is he nocturnal, Earth hedgehogs are nocturnal.”

Tom drapes an arm around her. “I’m sure we’ll figure it out,” he offers, giving his wife a soft smile. “I’ll keep a close eye on our blue buddy this week.”

Maddie reaches up to clasp her husband's hand. "I just want him to be okay," she admits quietly.

"I do too."

* * *

For most people, going to the grocery store is an everyday part of life. A trite sort of necessity unless you get home delivery. But for a space creature who spent a decade in hiding without human contact, picking up milk and eggs is an exciting adventure. 

In one smooth motion, Tom pulls into a parking space. Sonic is already out the door before the sheriff can even turn off the SUV. 

“So what are we getting today?” The teen asks excitedly. For once, he’s not bouncing up and down, and Tom tries not to think about how that _isn’t_ normal for him. The man picks up a basket from the stack before answering. 

“Just milk and eggs.” Tom pauses for a brief moment before adding, “and nothing else”. Maddie needs the ingredients for a cake tonight, and he doesn’t have time to be searching the aisles for an excitable space creature.

Sonic visibly deflates. “Lame,” he mutters.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” 

Surprisingly, the hedgehog sticks fairly close to him on this trip. Though, at one point, Tom has to pry him from the yogurt section.

“What’s the difference between the Greek yogurt and the other yogurt? The Greek one isn’t even made in Greece!”

A couple minutes later, Green Hills’ heroes are walking down the aisle, searching for a short check-out line. Sonic zips down, before stopping and beckoning Tom over.

“Here! This one’s good!” He calls, loud enough for the entire store to hear. A dozen pairs of eyes turn to look.

The sheriff’s face reddens before he runs over to the hedgehog. “Thanks,” he states hurriedly, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. 

Sonic grins, just happy to be of service. As Tom goes to pay, the hedgehog begins to fiddle with the candy bars and mints on the shelf. A moment later, the hedgehog stops. 

Tom doesn’t notice at first, continuing in the exchange at the register.

“Thanks, Jane. Tell Peter I said hi. Alright, time to go, Sonic.” The sheriff states, collecting his purchases before looking down. His eyes land on the blue alien, who is frozen and staring at an object in his hands. Sharing a look with the cashier, Tom kneels down to the teen’s level. 

“What have you got there, buddy?”

Sonic doesn’t respond immediately, green eyes focused intensely at what he is holding. Tom folds his gaze to the object. A confused expression appears on his face.

For all intents and purposes, this really shouldn’t have been here. The item was not something that would typically be sold at a small town grocery store. And yet, here it was. Pulled from the candy shelf and now clutched in Sonic’s hands is a small, lavender-colored stuffed owl. Its face is white-colored, and it has two little horn-like tufts on top of its head. 

Almost instantly, Tom knows what the hedgehog is thinking. It’s a look that he’s seen multiple times before on children, but is usually accompanied by begging and whining. The normally talkative teenager has yet to utter a single word, his fingers wrapped tight around the toy. As if he’s afraid that someone will take it away from him.

In an instant, Tom feels his heart twist with a fairly recent emotion. 

It’s been a slow process, but Sonic has gradually become more comfortable with physical touch. At first it had been pillows during movie nights, and then Ozzy’s fur. Lately, it’s been either him or Maddie. On one recent night, the couple had found the kid asleep while snuggling against Maddie’s arm.

_“Here. I’ll take him to bed.” Tom offers, navigating a hand around the hedgehog’s quills. As soon as Maddie loosens her grip, Sonic begins to twitch in his sleep._

_“...Mmm… Five more minutes, Dad...”._

_Without a word, Maddie had all but thrown the child into her husband’s arms. “You are not getting up from that couch, Thomas.”_

Rising to his feet, the sheriff turns to the cashier.

“How much for the owl?” 

Immediately, a quilled head whips around to look at him. Tom pays him no heed.

Jane smiles from behind the register. “Nothing,” she replies, gaze drifting to the blue hedgehog by the candy bars. “Consider it a thank you. It’s the least I can do for you two.”

At her words, Sonic’s mouth finally opens. His eyes dart to Jane to Tom and back again. “I… I… _Thank you._ ”

“You’re welcome. Now hurry on home before the milk spoils!” The cashier declares, shooing the two out. Sonic and Tom emerge into the parking lot with their new possessions, grins on their faces. Buckling into his seat, the hedgehog pulls the soft toy closer to his chest. 

_"Thank you so much,"_ he simply states, gratitude flooding his voice. Tom turns to smile at the speedster.

"No problem, buddy."

When Maddie catches sight of the stuffed animal, she immediately turns to her husband. “I’ll tell you later,” Tom promises. For now, he is happy to let children be children. 

Sonic doesn’t ask for it, but Tom and Maddie make sure to place the owl next to the hedgehog every night when they tuck him in. Her name is Peeps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What’s this? Continuity AND fluff? WHOA!
> 
> In all seriousness, here are some notes for you lovely people.
> 
> I really like the idea of Sonic being afraid and Tom letting the kid sleep with him and Maddie. But it seemed like too big of a step to make. I mean this kid has been alone for ten years after being forced from his home and having his only family figure die. He’d be a little hesitant to have so much contact with people. Also, keeping in mind those dreams and nightmares he’s been having, Sonic is in this confused mindset where he’s still trying to figure out if he’s a part of this family. He keeps catching himself before he calls them “Mom” and “Dad” because he isn’t sure if they’re there yet. If he’s there yet. But he doesn’t have that inhibition when he’s asleep. 
> 
> If you pay close attention in the movie, Sonic admits that he’s scared of the dark. When he’s abandoning his cave and packing the “essentials”, one of the first things he grabs is a nightlight. Again, while I think red probably has more psychological impact on the kid, he’s still plenty afraid of the dark. 
> 
> I couldn’t resist giving Sonic a little owl plushie. I know it might seem weird to some, but he associates owls with security. I made sure that the toy didn’t look too much like Longclaw, ‘cause that would be really weird. 
> 
> Where’s the gemhog headcanon, you may be asking. It’s there. Just very small. I like to imagine that Sonic’s quills get less saturated and bright when he’s exhausted. Like how the emeralds turn gray and dull when they’re drained of their power. How does a being of pure, limitless energy get exhausted? Well, Sonic’s chaos powers are typically “locked”. Intense emotion, like anger or sadness or loneliness, can let him tap into it (think the Avatar State). But he doesn’t know how exactly to use it aside from his electricity powers and superspeed. Remember, Sonic has no idea what he is or how much power he actually has.
> 
> i put the meow joke in here, i’m sorry, it just was just too good to pass up


	8. moon lullaby

Literally and metaphorically, Sonic was a little ball of super energy. From the moment he could crawl, the hoglet had spent every waking moment of his life in motion. He was such an energetic and curious child, constantly getting into things and asking questions. No matter what it was—whether it was the cool mist of a cascading waterfall or the millions of stars twinkling in the night sky—Sonic’s eyes would gleam with pure joy. It’s a sight that Longclaw wishes she could hold forever. When she feels fear and uncertainty threatening to suffocate her—something that can happen too often—her little starlight always makes her smile.

Even now, she doesn’t understand why the emerald—an ancient artifact of unlimited power—chose to grant her wish. To change its entire form and become a living being for her. After a half a year of hiding and sneaking, she’s finally found a place to stay. The remote island isn’t technically the safest place for them to go—it’s located in the tribe’s territory—but it’s the last place they would think to check. More importantly, she’s hesitant to take Sonic too far from the other emeralds. There are still so many questions she has about him. His lightning and speed, as powerful as they are, are just a fraction of power that pulses through every fiber of his being. If the time comes, she will take him off the island. Until then, she has to keep him hidden.

But raising Sonic within a small space, as she swiftly discovers, is a nearly impossible task. He is a creature who thrives on freedom and sunlight—a stark contrast to her life of discipline and shadows. Convincing a being of pure, limitless energy to rest is a battle every night—one that requires as much creativity as it does patience. 

“Please, Sonic. It’s time to go to bed.” Longclaw pleads for the third time, standing in the middle of the hut. Around her, a blue streak hops from perchpoint to perchpoint. 

“No bed!” He chirps, excitedly. In his running, the hedgehog accidentally knocks over a basket, the container landing with a thud on the ground. “Sowwy!”

Sighing, the owl walks over and sets the basket upright again. Time for a different tactic.

“If you go to bed, I’ll tell you a story.”

Immediately, the blue streak materializes into a wide-eyed child. “Weally?” He asks, his little tail wagging. 

“ _Really,_ ” Longclaw replies, smiling back at him. 

Before she realizes it, Sonic leaps into her wings, knocking the wind out of her. “Stowy, stowy!” He cheers. 

Ruffling her feathers, the owl gently shushes the child. “I can’t tell it if you aren’t quiet,” she explains, tilting her head playfully.

At her words, the toddler sucks in a breath and puffs his little cheeks out. The former warrior can’t suppress the giggle that escapes from her beak. She draws in a breath before speaking.

“When I was about your age, I had a friend who was afraid of the dark.”

Sonic almost immediately jumps in. “Were they an owl too?”

Longclaw nods. “Imagine that. An owl who can see at night and is afraid of the dark. Quite odd, isn’t it?”

“What happened?” 

“Well,” the owl continues, a twinkle in her turquoise eyes. “His mother was very wise. Whenever her son was afraid, she would sing him a very special song that had the power to chase away all the monsters in the dark.”

There’s a soft gasp after she finishes her statement. Looking down, she sees Sonic’s mouth hanging open. “Wow,” he exclaims. “She musta been a good singer wike you!”

His caretaker laughs. “I think she was better than me, actually. I don’t know the song as well.”

Sonic’s face scrunches in thought for a moment before his gaze returns to his protector. His eyes are twinkling, like two large green jewels. “Can you sing it for me? Pwease?”

Longclaw pauses in mock-thought. “Hmm… I don’t know…”

“Pwease!” Sonic pleads, squirming in her grip. “Pwease! Pwease! Pwease!” His expression suddenly goes serious, his eyes narrowed and his brows creased. _“Pwease.”_

“Okay, okay.” The warrior relents. Shifting the child into a more comfortable position, she lightly taps the end of his nose, drawing a giggle from the toddler. Longclaw lets the happy sound fill the air before reaching a wing to Sonic’s head. She traces little circles behind his ears, feathers gently stroking blue fur in a familiar pattern.

_“Look to the stars, my darling baby boy._

_Life is strange and vast, filled with wonders and joy._

_Face each new sun, with eyes clear and…”._

Halfway through the song, the owl is interrupted by quiet snoring. Gazing downward, she sees Sonic nuzzled into her chest, his tiny gloved fingers clutching her feathers and his paws balanced against her chestplate. His nose twitches every so often.

Smiling, Longclaw wraps both wings around the blue hoglet. After smoothing down the child’s quills with her beak, she closes her eyes and joins her son in dreamland.

* * *

Despite living alone for ten years, Sonic has amassed quite an assortment of items. Tons of road signs, a hundred Flash comic books, even a broken washing machine. Each item holds a story, giving a glimpse into the life of Green Hills’ Blue Devil.

In the process of moving Sonic’s things to the attic, Tom and Maddie have a chance to really examine the collection. While there are a lot of strange items to consider—where did he get a bean bag from—there are a few objects that get their attention. A boombox. A collection of cassettes. A pair of headphones. A blow-up guitar and maraca. All music related items.

Some time later, after the hedgehog has made it through a week of school after moving in, Tom and Maddie present him with his own, real musical instrument. While they originated wanted to give the teen a guitar, his small size meant that finding one that would work was difficult. In the end, they settled on a glossy, mahogany ukulele.

After giving the couple his sincerest gratitude, Sonic immediately starts messing around on the strings. Within an hour of picking up the instrument, he’s already learned his first song. 

Maddie is both proud and a little shocked. “Are you sure you’ve never played a ukulele before?” She asks incredulously, observing the alien’s fingers move deftly up and down the fretboard. Sonic nods before cracking a grin.

“Yep. Guess I’m just a fast learner, huh?”

While he isn’t quite as flabbergasted as his wife, Tom will admit that he’s a bit surprised. He knows better than anyone how fast Sonic can do things. It’s likely that the kid has seen people play before and is mimicking them from memory. In addition, he’s got quite a few, well-used cassette tapes in his collection. But that still doesn’t really explain his musical aptitude. 

When Sonic learns yet another song that afternoon, Maddie and Tom decide to simply file this away in the box of blue hedgehog oddities. It isn’t until later that night that they get an answer to their question.

Since taking in a talking, teenage alien, the couple have grown accustomed to the squeaks and thumps that sometimes come from their attic. The speedster is eternally in motion; even when sitting or standing, he’s moving in some way. No matter how many times Tom has tried to fix it, their attic has a wood floor that always creaks in certain places. 

The noise that they hear on a Wednesday night is not one they typically associate with Sonic’s motion. Rather, it is the sound of a tenor voice that causes them to pause.

Maddie’s eyes widen. “Is that…?” Looking to her husband, the man nods and stands. Quietly, like two moths drawn to a flame, the two ascend upstairs into the attic. As they pop up above the trapdoor, they find their eyes widening even further.

Sitting on the beanbag chair, ukulele balanced on his legs, Sonic is playing a tune that neither of them has heard before. His voice is soft and sweet, like a flower floating in the breeze. It seems almost eerily appropriate for the simple melody, which speaks of both comfort and sorrow. A lullaby and an elegy.

_“Face each new sun, with eyes clear and true._

_Unafraid of the unknown,_

_Because I’ll face it all with you.”_

The song is unpolished and marred by the occasionally flat note, but Tom and Maddie love it for that exact reason. Upon its conclusion, the two offer a standing ovation. 

Immediately, Sonic’s eyes fly open. His ears go straight up as soon as he sees the two humans, hands clutching the neck of the ukulele. Warmth is flooding his face.

Maddie is the first to speak. “That was beautiful, Sonic. Did you write that?”

The hedgehog seems to pull inward as the two move closer. “No,” he responds quickly. 

“Oh? I’ve never heard it before.”

From this closer vantage point, Tom notices the shininess in the teenager’s eyes. Out of the corner of his vision, he can see that Maddie has noticed as well. 

Seeing their expressions, Sonic looks down and sets the instrument against a nearby table. His gaze flickers to the stuffed owl on his bed before returning to the two adults. “Someone I knew a long time ago taught me that song.”

Oh.

Tom and Maddie cross the distance and kneel down on either side of the alien. “Do you want to talk about it?” The sheriff suggests, after a beat.

Sonic’s gaze falls to the floor again. “I guess.”

“What were they like?” Maddie asks gently.

The alien doesn’t immediately respond, prompting Tom to wonder if they’ve pushed the kid too much. Too soon. Sonic draws in a deep breath, staring down at his shoes. 

“She,” he begins, voice soft. There’s a small smile forming on his face. “She was the nicest person I ever knew. For as long I can remember, she took care of me. Played with me. Taught me stuff. I used to say that she was like Obi-Wan Kenobi, if he had a beak and ate mice.”

The teenager’s words sit in the air for several moments as Maddie and Tom process them all. They already know where this is going, and yet they steel themselves for what is coming next. 

Sonic pulls his knees up to his chin. The air feels heavier.

“She told me to keep my powers hidden. To keep me safe. But I was so stupid and didn’t listen. I ran across the island one day and they saw me and—”

The hedgehog abruptly cuts off, eyes slamming shut. He curls into himself, trying to burrow as deep as he can into the terracotta fabric. 

For several moments, Tom and Maddie sit silently as Sonic’s sniffles fill the room. Then, Maddie places a hand on the alien’s ears and begins rubbing them in a circular pattern. The gesture seems to calm the child, his body relaxing slightly. His eyes open again, revealing teal irises.

“Her name was _Longclaw_ ,” he confesses, after an eternity. It sounds like he’s uttering a prayer, the name said with such care and reverence. “She was my mother.”

Neither Tom or Maddie know what to say next. It’s moments like these—not the lightning, not the portals to other worlds, not the superhuman speed—that shock them the most. How there were dozens of loose wrappers and empty cans scattered about Sonic’s cave. The giant pile of mismatched shoes and socks. How the hyperspeed alien who disabled the entire Pacific Northwest electrical grid was _three years old_ and _alone_ and forced to steal just to survive. 

The blue blur draws in another breath, this one shakier than before. “I wanted to play the song because she used to sing it for me at night. But then you came and started talking and y’know this is all just so _dumb_ and I should be _over_ this—”.

“It is not _dumb_ ,” Tom abruptly interjects. The certainty in his voice causes Sonic to stop, confused eyes blinking at the human.

“...It’s not?” He whispers, suddenly sounding so very small. 

Tom places a hand on Sonic’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Grief can take a long time to overcome. Sometimes you never really get over it. You can’t beat yourself over not being able to move on from this. The fact that you remember her and everything she did for you just shows how much you love her. And that’s not dumb.”

Maddie takes Sonic’s hand. “You don’t need to be the fastest at everything,” she states, smiling at the hedgehog. “It’s okay to stop and be sad for a while. If you ever need someone to talk to, Tom and I will always be here for you.”

There’s a beat of silence as the Sonic stares at the two humans, his ears lowered and his eyes glassy. About a minute later, he turns to Maddie, falling into her arms. Immediately, the veterinarian wraps her arms around the teenager, his tears wetting her shirt. Her husband moves in, arms wrapping around the hedgehog as well. Two strong branches protecting them as they weather the storm. 

For several minutes, the three sit together on the attic floor. Tom begins to stroke the back of Sonic’s head, fingers carefully combing through blue quills. Across from him, Maddie presses kisses to the alien’s crown. Slowly, the hedgehog’s sniffles begin to quiet down. He pulls away slightly, though he still clings close to the two humans.

Tom smiles warmly at Sonic. “Why don’t you play it again for us?” He suggests, after a moment. “We didn’t get to hear the whole song earlier.”

The hedgehog wipes his face with the back of his glove. There’s a fragile smile on his face when he looks up, green eyes twinkling with some of their usual playfulness. “Okay,” he says, grabbing the ukulele. Positioning his fingers on the fretboard, he takes a breath and begins strumming. 

Maddie and Tom love the song even more the second time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this chapter I have assembled the Sonic Parental Squad. We have Donut Dad, Pretzel Mom, and Momclaw.
> 
> To the notes!
> 
> This long chapter’s full of weird headcanons and references. Sonic playing guitar is a reference of course to Sonic Underground. I know it’s a little cliche, but I love the idea of Tom and Maddie giving Sonic a guitar. The lullaby that Longclaw sings is the Della’s Moon Lullaby from Ducktales. So we once again have a bird mom singing to her blue, Ben Schwartz voiced son. 
> 
> It’s been way too long since I wrote about Longclaw. I wanted to explore some of her headspace. Like what she thinks of Sonic, why they’re living on that island, how she feels about all of this. I see her as an Atticus Finch type of parent: wise and polite, but loving and witty at times. Sonic is about two in this chapter, which is why he has a lisp. Baby Sonic in the movie is three.
> 
> For all of my readers, this chapter will probably be the last one I write for a while. I wanna take some time to develop some ideas. I’m thinking about starting a multi-chapter work in this AU, so that will take a lot of planning. I’m going to leave this fic open if any other ideas come to my brain. The story, should it come to fruition, will take place after these one-shots and will finally address the fox in the room: our boy Tails. So while you don't technical need to have read these one-shots to understand the story, you should at least read chapter 1.
> 
> UPDATE: I changed the guitar to a ukulele because they don't make guitars that small.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Luster](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23097751) by [Oneshot_bravo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oneshot_bravo/pseuds/Oneshot_bravo)
  * [Blackbird](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23528155) by [CobaltBluu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CobaltBluu/pseuds/CobaltBluu)




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